Hole closures and the like



1963 F. s. SAMPSON 3,07

HOLE CLOSURES AND THE LIKE Filed July 10, 1961 Inventor Redrick S. Samps n,

United States Patent 6 3,072,287 HOLE CLOSUREE AND THE LHKE Frederick S. Sampson, Saugus, Mass, assignor to United- Carr Fastener Corporation, Cambridge, Mass, 21 corporation of Delaware Filed July 10, 1961, Ser. No. 122,924 2 Claims. (Cl. ZED-59) This invention relates to improvements in devices that may be used either as a plug button to close a hole in an article of commerce or as a rivet to secure two or more pieces in assembly.

An object of the invention is to provide a device that will close a desired aperture in a support member in such a manner that the device will be tightly locked to the support member and prevented from being removed by strong pressures that are built up within the support member. An example of the use of the device may be in connection with a motor vehicle mufiler.

Another object of the invention is to provide a onepiece hole closing or riveting device so constructed that one or more hammer blows on the head of the device will move an axially movable expanding element to force bendable fingers of the device outwardly and into engagement with a support.

Other objects of the invention, in part, will be obvious and, in part, will appear hereinafter.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the device of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the device shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of the device shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the device as it appears attached to a supporting structure;

FIG. 5 is a section taken on the line 5-5 of FIG. 4 showing the construction of the device prior to final assembly;

FIG. 6 is a section on the line 5-5 similar to FIG. 5 but showing the construction of the device in final locked assembly.

In the drawings, which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention, there is shown a device formed from a single piece of sheet metal having a hollow collapsible head portion 1, a plurality of bendable fingers 2 (FIGS. 2, 3) and an axially movable means in the form of a hollow expanding element 3 (FIGS. 5, 6) extending from the collapsible head portion 1 between the fingers 2. Each finger 2 preferably is provided with a protuberance 4 of any desired shape. The protuberances 4 are formed from the material of the fingers within the edges of the material of the fingers. In the drawing the protuberances 4 are shown as circular dimples extending from the inner surfaces of the fingers in spaced relation to the underside of the head portion 1 (FIG. 2) so that they are in the path of movement of the expanding element 3, as best shown in FIG. 5.

T illustrate one example of how the improved device may be used, there is shown, in FIGS. 4, 5, and 6, an apertured support which may be a part of any article of commerce that has an aperture which must be closed by a device to be more or less permanently locked in place. Applicant is aware of the many so called snap-in plug buttons on the market for closing apertures; but they are unsatisfactory where unusual pressures of air, gas, etc.

Patented Jan. 8, 1963 may be brought to bear on the part used to close the aperture. To assemble applicants simple, inexpensive, one-piece device in the aperture provided in the support 5, the device is first inserted prongs first through the aperture as shown in FIG. 5. Thereafter the top of the hollow collapsible head 1 is preferably struck a quick blow or blows with a hammer thereby forcing the head to collapse or flatten and move the expanding element 3 downwardly between the fingers. This movement of the expanding element 3 engaging the dimples '4 causes the bendable fingers 2 to be moved outwardly so that the head i and the fingers 2 engage opposite sides of the support 5 firmly holding the device in position as best shown in FIG. 6. Since the protuberances 4 on the fingers 2 are very strong in structure, the fingers are locked in their outwardly moved positions by the expanding element and it is practically impossible to remove the device from the apertured support 5 while the parts of the device are in the relative positions shown in FIG. 6.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the device may be used also as a rivet when it is desirable to secure together two or more apertured pieces. Such use is so obvious that it is believed unnecessary to disclose it in the drawings. It is also obvious that the protuberances may be placed in any desired position along the fingers depending upon the thickness of the support; and, as a matter of fact, the device will accommodate itself to limited variations of thicknesses of materials.

While there has been illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of the device, it should be understood that the invention is best defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. A one-piece device of the class described having a hollow collapsible head portion, a plurality of bendable fingers extending from beneath said head portion, each finger having an embossed protuberance extending therefrom on an inner surface and an axially movable expanding element extending from said head and into a space surrounded by said fingers whereby, when said collapsible head is flattened, said expanding element engages said protuberances and bends said fingers outwardly to cooperate with said head and attach said device securely to an apertured supporting means.

2. A device of the class described having a collapsible head portion, a plurality of attaching fingers extending from beneath said head portion, at least one of the fingers having an embossed protuberance extending therefrom on an inner surface and an axially movable expanding element extending from and connected to said head and into a space surrounded by said fingers whereby, when said head is flattened axially movable expanding element is moved axially in said space, said expanding element engages said protuberance and bends said one finger outwardly to co-operate with a portion of said head and attach said device securely to an apertured supporting means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,732,834 Carpmael Oct. 22, 1929 2,527,053 Bedford Oct. 24, 1950 2,585,887 Woodward Feb. 12, 1952 3,015,403 Fuller Jan. 2, 1962 

1. A ONE-PIECE DEVICE OF THE CLASS DESCRIBED HAVING A HOLLOW COLLAPSIBLE HEAD PORTION, A PLURALITY OF BENDABLE FINGERS EXTENDING FROM BENEATH SAID HEAD PORTION, EACH FINGER HAVING AN EMBOSSED PROTUBERANCE EXTENDING THEREFROM ON AN INNER SURFACE AND AN AXIALLY MOVABLE EXPANDING ELEMENT EXTENDING FROM SAID HEAD AND INTO A SPACE SURROUNDED BY SAID FINGERS WHEREBY, WHEN SAID COLLAPSIBLE HEAD IS FLATTENED, SAID EXPANDING ELEMENT ENGAGES SAID PROTUBERANCES AND BENDS SAID FINGERS OUTWARDLY TO COOPERATE WITH SAID HEAD AND ATTACH SAID DEVICE SECURELY TO AN APERTURED SUPPORTING MEANS. 